Dick remained near the Tory settlement till nightfall, and then began to
figure on entering and trying to learn something about the intentions of
the enemy. The British force was encamped just at the edge of the
settlement, and the youth believed he could visit one of the houses and
perhaps learn something from the settler, without being seen by any of
the redcoats.
So he made his way into the settlement, at the opposite side from the
British encampment, and approaching one of the houses, knocked on the
door.
The door opened, and a tall, rough-looking settler appeared. He was no
other, in fact, than Hank Sprowl, Herbert Miller’s worst enemy, but
Dick, of course, did not know him.
“How are ye, stranger?” Sprowl said, gruffly. “What kin I do fur ye?”
“I am a stranger in these parts,” replied Dick, “and I thought that
perhaps I could get something to eat here. I will pay for the food.”
“Thet’s all right. Yas, I guess we kin let ye have somethin’ to eat.
Come in.”
Dick entered, and Sprowl motioned to a chair after closing the door, and
as the youth sat down, he asked: “What is your name, stranger?”
“Dick Ford,” was the reply, Dick deciding that he had better give a
fictitious name, he being so close to the British.
“Where do ye live, an’ where ye goin’?”
“I live about a hundred miles north from here,” was the reply. “And I’m
going about fifty miles beyond the James River.”
“Got folks down there, hey?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Here’s a stranger to supper, Molly,” called Sprowl. “Cook enuff extra
fur him.”
“All right, Hank,” was the response from the kitchen.
“I saw what looked like a big encampment at the edge of the settlement,”
said Dick. “What is going on? Are those men soldiers?”
“Yes, they’re British soldiers. That is General Arnold’s army,” was the
reply.
“Ah. I suppose they intend to fight the rebel army that I saw yesterday,
fifteen or twenty miles from here, do they?”
“So ye seen ther rebels, did ye? Yes, thet’s what Arnold intends to do.
The rebel army is now at a rebel settlement about three miles from here,
an’ Arnold will git arter ’em pretty quick.”
“When, to-morrow, do you think?” queried Dick.
Sprowl looked at the youth somewhat suspiciously. “W’y do ye wanter
know?” he asked.
“Why, I thought that if there was likely to be a fight in this vicinity
to-morrow, I would wait here and see it,” was the prompt reply. “I would
like to see a battle.”
“Oh,” said Hank. “So thet’s your idee, hey? Wai, I don’ know as he’ll
make an attack to-morrer, but he will git arter ther rebels before very
long, thet’s sartin.”
“I’ve a good mind to stop here till the battle does take place,” said
Dick.
“Wai, I guess ye kin stay here ef ye want to,” said Sprowl. “Ther battle
may take place to-morrer.”
An idea struck Dick, and he said: “As I said, I’m a stranger here, and
wouldn’t like to bother the British officers by asking questions, but
you could find out whether they intend to make an attack to-morrow, or
not, couldn’t you, and if they do intend to do so, I will stay.”
“Ye’ll stay all night, anyhow, won’t ye?”
“Yes, but I want to get up very early, and so if you will go and find
out about that to-night, I will be much obliged. If they don’t intend to
make the attack to-morrow, or by the next day, I will go on my way.”
“All right, I’ll go over to ther encampment arter supper an’ have a
leetle talk with General Arnold, an’ see if I can find out about ther
battle.”
“Very well, and thank you,” said Dick. “I have always wanted to see a
battle.”
“Me, too,” said Sprowl. “I never seen one, an’ this will likely be a big
one, fur Arnold has fifteen hundred men an’ I hear thet ther rebels hev
more than a thousand.”
“That ought to make a lively fight,” said Dick.
“Yas, thet’s what I think.”
Presently the evening repast was ready, and the three sat up to the
table in the kitchen and ate supper. Dick was hungry, as a result of the
walking he had done that day, and he ate heartily.
After the meal, Sprowl smoked a pipeful of tobacco, and then rose and
stretched as he said: “I’ll go over to ther British encampment, now, an’
have a talk with General Arnold an’ fin’ out about ther battle, Dick
Ford. I won’t be gone very long.”
“All right, Mr. Sprowl, and thank you for your kindness. I appreciate
it, I assure you.”
“Thet’s all right. I kinder wanter know about ther battle, myself.”
Then he left the house, and Dick, sitting there in the front room,
congratulated himself on his good luck. He would now be able to secure
information right from headquarters, and without having to venture near
the British.
Sprowl was soon at the house where Arnold and his officers had taken up
their quarters, and when he had been ushered into the room where the
officers sat, talking, he explained his errand. He had already been
spoken of by the settlers in the settlement as being one of the leading
Tories, so Arnold was willing to discuss with him subjects of interest.
Sprowl, in the conversation, mentioned the fact that there was a young
stranger at his house who had asked him to find out when the battle
would likely take place, as if it would take place on the morrow, or
next day, he would remain and see the affair, and Arnold started, looked
thoughtfully at Sprowl for a few moments, and then said:
“You say there is a young stranger at your house now, and that he
expressed a wish to know when the battle would likely take place?”
“Yas, General Arnold,” was the reply.
“What is his name?” There was an eager light in Arnold’s eyes.
Sprowl looked somewhat surprised, but answered “He said his name was
Dick Ford.”
Arnold started again, and smiled somewhat grimly. “Dick Ford, eh? What
kind of looking young fellow is he? Describe him.”
Sprowl did so as best he could, and Arnold nodded, and said: “I’ll wager
anything that the young fellow in question is the rebel spy, Dick Dare.”
“Do you think so?” said one of the officers.
“I’m almost sure of it. And I’m going to know for sure. Colonel Riggs,
get about a dozen men and we will go to Mr. Sprawl’s home with him,
surround the house, so that the young fellow cannot escape, and then we
will enter and confront him. And if he is Dick Dare, as I feel confident
is the case, I shall be very glad. I owe him a debt for trying to
capture me up in New York City two or three months ago, and we both owe
him something for trying to make prisoners of us last evening. Come, let
us hasten, for he may take the alarm and take refuge in flight.”
They went out, and Colonel Riggs ordered a squad of the soldiers to go
with them to Sprowl’s house, which they surrounded, and then Arnold and
Riggs followed Sprowl into the house, where, sure enough, they saw Dick
Dare sitting in the room, quietly awaiting the return of Sprowl.
Arnold and the colonel confronted the youth, and the general said,
sarcastically: “So you wanted Mr. Sprowl to secure some information
regarding my intentions, did you, Dick Dare? Very good. I have come to
give you the information in person.”